Jeweler s case



(No Model.) Q 1I'. SPRINGFELS- JBWELERS CASE.

No. 427,631. Patented May 13, 1890.

llllllll WHWESM'S; l

NITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. D. SPRINGFELS, O F BUFFALO, NEXY YORK.

JEWELERS CAS-E..

`SPECI}"I(.`1*1I.IO1\T forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,631, dated May 13, 1890.

Application tiled January 20, 1390. Serial No.337,4=65. (No model.)

T0 all when?, it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES ED. SPRING- FELs, of lhitlalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Jewelers Silver-fare Cases; and I do hereby declare that the following description of my said invention, taken in connection with the'accoin.- pan ying sheet of drawings, forms a full, clear, and exact specification, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has gen eral reference lo improvem ents in jewelers silver-ware cases; and it consists, essentially, in the novel and peculiar combination of parts and details of construction, as hereinafter lirst fully set forth and described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings already referred to, which serve to illustrate my said invention more fully, Figure 1 is a perspective viewof my improved jewelers case. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the retaining' and clamping mechanism detached. Fig. 3 is an end View of the same. Fig. l is a plan, and Fig. 5 a similar View, of a portion of the said clamping mechanlsm.

Like parts are designated by corresponding letters of reference in all theiigurcs.

The object of this invention is the production of an efficient j ewelers silver-ware case, capable of holding the ware in proper position. lleretofore these cases have been pro vided with two or more rows of slotted re tainers covered with silk, satin, or similar material, the silver-ware being placed into these slots. This construction requires that said slots shall be of a width corresponding to the thickness of the articles to beheld therein, and necessitates the man ufaetnre and keeping on hand of a large number of cases having various sizes of slots to fit the many different kinds and styles o' silver-ware now sold in cases containing one dozen, more or less, of these articles, or an assortment of various articles, as forks, spoons, and knives, or tea and coffee spoons, and the like. To avoid these objections and to produce a ease capable of properly retaining t-hese articles though their shape may differ, as well as the sizes of the shanks, handles, or other part by which they are to held in the case I construct my jew elers case with a self-acti 11g retainingclamp to hold these articles, and to clamp them in position, so as to show them to their best advantage.

A is the base of a j ewelers case constructed of wood of proper width and length to tit the articles to bc retained therein, it being covered with plush or other suitable material, or uishedin any other approved style, said base having a cover lf3, suitably hinged and provided with a lock, catch, or similar fastening C.

Upon thc base A, I fasten a retaining de vice consistingof a base D, having three longitudinal grooves, in the outer ones of which are secured side pieces E E', while in the eentral one d, Figs. 4 and 5, there is niovably inserted a clamping-piece F, said pieces E E F being provided each with a suitable number of obliquely-arranged notches c f, respectively, so arranged that normally, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the notches oif the outer pieces intersect those of the inner piece F. In the base D there is, near one end, a groove d', Figs. 3 and 4f, within which moves the head of a screw a, Fig. 3, which screw retains the central piece F in proper position. To this base D there is attached at g one end of a coil-spring G,'the opposite end of which engages the central piece F at g', said spring being tensioned, so as to pull the cen tral piece toa stop formed by the screw o, striking the end of the slotted and dovetailed aperture CZ', as clearly indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. This retaining device is placed upon the base A, as may be observed by an inspection of Fig. l, and then covered with silk, satin, or other suitable material arranged in artistic and pleasing folds, it being understood that in cases where several dozens or half-dozens of ware of different kinds are to be placed into the case, several of these retain ers will be used without departing from the nature of my invention.

In operation, the central piece F is pushed forwardlyin the direction of the arrow placed in Fig. it until the notches c and f coincide, when the articles to be retained are placed into the said notches, as shown in Figs. l and where Il represents such an article as a spoon, a fork, a knife, a nut-pick, a fruitknife, or other similar article of silver or plated Ware or cutlery. Now the central piece Fis released, When the spiral spring G, retracting the said central piece F, causes these articles to be clamped between the inclined edges of the said notches, as at b c in said Fig. 2, and thereby to securely retain them in proper place.

It Will be readily observed that instead of making the vmiddle piece F movable, I can attain the desired result by iixing this piece and making one or both side pieces movable,

such construction being but a reversal of the clamping retainer for said ware, consist-ing,

order of arrangement of parts and an equivalent of the same.

The retaining device heretofore -described is preferably made of wood, although other materials or metals may be employedin their construction Without departing from myl invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure to me by Letters Patent of the United States- 1.- In a jewelers case, a self-adjusting clamping retainer consisting, essentially, of a base, notched side Walls, and notched central piece, one of said notched pieces being movable and the other iixed,as described, and a device for l retracting the movable piece, as stated.

2. Inv jewelers silver-Ware cases, an adjustable retainer consisting of a base, tWo notched side Walls, and a central notched and movable clamping -piece, the latter having suitable means for retracting said middle piece, as and for the object set forth.

3. In jewelers silver-eases, an adjustable retainer .consisting` of a base, two notched stationary side pieces, and a central movable notched clamping-piece, and a spiral spring for retracting said middle piece, as and for the object set forth.

4. In a jewelers silver-case, a self-acting essentially, of a base, two parallel iixed and obliquely-notched side Walls, a central movable obliquely-notched clamping-piece, and a spiral spring' for reti-acting said clampingpiece, said clamping-piece having a stop, as

' described, for limiting its back movement, as

set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. F. D. SPRINGFELS.

Attest:

MICHAEL J. STARK, WM. O. STARK. 

